Escaped Staten Island felon caught in North Carolina

View full sizeDwayne Smith, 27, was caught in North Carolina after fleeing from police during an arrest in February.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- After being on the run for over a month, authorities have caught Staten Island parolee Dwayne Smith in a shopping center in Charlotte, N.C., police said.

Smith, 27, attacked a police officer and fled after being pulled over on Feb. 3 at about 9:25 p.m. on Bement Avenue in West Brighton, according to police. He eluded law enforcement officials until Wednesday, when police caught up to him in a shopping center in Charlotte.

He was extradited to New York, and arraigned in Stapleton Criminal Court earlier this afternoon. He was charged with assault and resisting arrest. He was ordered held without bail, said a spokesman for District Attorney Daniel Donovan.

Smith has a history of attacking cops, according to Advance records. In December 2008, police arrested Smith during a drug buy operation in Great Kills. Smith had an "active parole warrant" against him at the time, and fought back, repeatedly kicking a detective in the head and causing a gash that required six stitches to close, according to court papers.

He was convicted in that case and released on parole last August.

Prior to the 2008 assault, Smith had been out on parole after a 2003 attempted robbery and witness-tampering conviction. He mugged a man at gunpoint, then tried four times to convince the victim into changing his testimony, according to court records.

During his most recent offense in February, an officer stopped Smith on Bement Avenue, near Bement Court, because of the parole violation. After being cuffed, Smith struck the cop in the chest with his elbow and shoulder, causing him to fall backwards, said the district attorney's spokesman. The officer suffered minor injuries as Smith fled on foot.